Background

The Comprehensive Health Options through Innovative Community Engagement (CHOICE) Project is a seven-year initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Oxfam, in partnership with Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WilDAF), Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ), and SAfAIDS, across Chibombo, Chisamba, Namwala, and Itezhi-Tezhi Districts.

The project aims to improve the realisation of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for adolescent girls and young women, adolescents, youth, women, men, and marginalised populations. While access to SRHR services has improved, harmful social norms, gender inequality, stigma, misinformation, disability-related barriers, and restrictive cultural practices continue to affect positive SRHR outcomes.

To strengthen community engagement and promote sustainable behaviour and social norm change, Oxfam seeks to engage a qualified consultant to undertake stakeholder mapping and develop a comprehensive Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Strategy and Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Campaign Strategy.

Purpose of the Consultancy

To generate evidence on stakeholders, legal framework gaps, behavioural determinants, social norms, communication ecosystems, and influence pathways affecting SRHR and develop an evidence-based, gender-transformative, disability-inclusive, and community-owned SBCC Strategy and Campaign Framework to guide CHOICE interventions.

Specific Objectives

The consultant will:

• Map the sexual and reproductive health landscape in Zambia, including stakeholders, policy gaps, legal frameworks, and their influence on sexual and reproductive health and rights behaviours, norms, decision-making, and service access.
• Assess behavioural drivers, barriers, attitudes, beliefs, and social norms affecting SRHR outcomes.
• Identify and segment priority audiences and influencers.
• Develop a five-year Social and Behaviour Change Strategy aligned with CHOICE outcomes.
• Develop a Behaviour Change Communication Campaign Strategy, messaging framework, and communication approaches.
• Develop a dissemination and community mobilisation framework.
• Develop a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework for tracking behavioural and social norm change.

Scope of Work

The consultancy will be implemented in:

• Chibombo District
• Chisamba District
• Namwala District
• Itezhi-Tezhi District

The successful consultant will undertake, among others:

• Inception meetings and review of project documents and baseline studies.
• Mapping of SHR Stakeholder, Policy and Legal Framework gaps and influence analysis.
• Social norms and behavioural determinants assessment.
• Audience segmentation.
• Development of the SBCC Strategy and BCC Campaign Strategy.
• Development of communication and messaging toolkit.
• Facilitation of validation workshops.
• Development of dissemination and implementation framework.

Priority SRHR themes include:

• Adolescent pregnancy
• Early marriage
• Comprehensive sexuality education
• Contraceptive uptake
• Menstrual health and hygiene
• Gender-based violence
• HIV prevention
• SRHR service utilization
• Positive masculinity
• Gender equality
• Consent and bodily autonomy

The consultancy should adopt participatory mixed methods including desk reviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, community dialogues, stakeholder analysis, behavioural analysis, and human-centred design approaches while ensuring gender responsiveness, disability inclusion, youth participation, safeguarding, and ethical compliance.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant will produce:

• Inception Report
• SHR Stakeholder, policy and legal framework gaps mapping and Influence Analysis Report
• Social Norms and Behavioural Determinants Assessment Report
• Audience Segmentation Report
• Draft Five-Year Social and Behaviour Change Strategy
• Behaviour Change Communication Campaign Strategy
• Communication and Messaging Toolkit
• Validation Workshop Report
• Dissemination and Community Mobilisation Framework
• Final Consolidated Strategy Package

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 14 weeks.

Required Qualifications and Experience

The Lead Consultant should possess:

Education

A master’s degree in public health, Behaviour Change Communication, Communication, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Gender Studies, or a related discipline.

Experience

Minimum 10 years of demonstrated experience in:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
• Social and Behaviour Change Communication
• Social norms transformation
• Strategic communication
• Stakeholder mapping
• Community engagement
• Participatory research
• Gender-transformative programming
• Development of SBC strategies and communication campaigns

Experience working on Global Affairs Canada-funded programmes, adolescent and youth programming, disability inclusion, safeguarding, and multi-stakeholder facilitation in Zambia will be an added advantage.

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Understanding of the assignment
• Methodology and technical approach
• Relevant experience
• Team composition and expertise
• Workplan and level of effort
• Previous similar assignments

Administrative Requirements

• Tpin Certificate (Requirement)
• Tax Clearance certificate
• Pacra Registration
• Application letter
• Detailed Financial Proposal (Professional fees, Detailed Budget)

Proposal Submission Requirements

Interested consultants should submit:

• Technical Proposal (Maximum 7 Pages)
  • Understanding of the assignment
  • Methodology and approach
  • Workplan
  • Team composition
  • Relevant experience and similar assignments
  • References
• Supporting Documents
  • Curriculum Vitae (CVs)
  • Academic qualifications
  • Evidence of similar assignments undertaken

All research activities must adhere to Oxfam’s safeguarding principles, data protection standards, and informed consent protocols to ensure the safety and confidentiality of all respondents, especially adolescent girls and young women.

Reporting: The consultant will report to the CHOICE Project Manager, with technical oversight from the MEAL Coordinator and Gender Team, and present findings to Oxfam, consortium partners, government stakeholders, and community representatives.

• Map the sexual and reproductive health landscape in Zambia, including stakeholders, policy gaps, legal frameworks, and their influence on sexual and reproductive health and rights behaviours, norms, decision-making, and service access.
• Assess behavioural drivers, barriers, attitudes, beliefs, and social norms affecting SRHR outcomes.
• Identify and segment priority audiences and influencers.
• Develop a five-year Social and Behaviour Change Strategy aligned with CHOICE outcomes.
• Develop a Behaviour Change Communication Campaign Strategy, messaging framework, and communication approaches.
• Develop a dissemination and community mobilisation framework.
• Develop a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework for tracking behavioural and social norm change.
• Inception meetings and review of project documents and baseline studies.
• Mapping of SHR Stakeholder, Policy and Legal Framework gaps and influence analysis.
• Social norms and behavioural determinants assessment.
• Audience segmentation.
• Development of the SBCC Strategy and BCC Campaign Strategy.
• Development of communication and messaging toolkit.
• Facilitation of validation workshops.
• Development of dissemination and implementation framework.

• Social and Behaviour Change Communication
• Social norms transformation
• Strategic communication
• Stakeholder mapping
• Community engagement
• Participatory research
• Gender-transformative programming
• Development of SBC strategies and communication campaigns

• A master’s degree in public health, Behaviour Change Communication, Communication, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Gender Studies, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of demonstrated experience in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).